Quickley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Quickley is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived in the county of Devon where they worked as dairy farmers. The surname is both local and occupational, since it describes where the original bearers lived and what work they did. The surname was originally derived from the Old English word cwic. Occupational names that were derived from the common trades of the medieval era transcended European cultural and linguistic boundaries. In this case the surname Quickley was originally derived from the principal object associated with the activity of the original bearer; dairy farming. These types of occupational surnames are called metonymic surnames.

Early Origins of the Quickley family

The surname Quickley was first found in Devon where this name occurred amongst the burgesses and churchwardens of Tiverton. 1 The name was also frequented in Cornwall where the name was derived from the Cornish word guîk, meaning a village. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had only one listing and was with a very early spelling: Robert Quic in Cambridgeshire. The Close Rolls listed William Quykkc, 14 Henry VI and John Quicke, Close Rolls, 3 Edward IV. 3 For these two latter entries, the reader should note that early rolls used the date of the king's reign as in 14 Henry VI, which meant during the 14th year of King Henry VI's reign.

Early History of the Quickley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Quickley research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1636, 1650, 1653, 1706 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Quickley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Quickley Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Quickley has been spelled many different ways, including Quick, Quicke, Quig, Quigg, Quegg and others.

Early Notables of the Quickley family

Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Quickley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Quickley family to Ireland

Some of the Quickley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 51 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Quickley family

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Quickleys to arrive in North America: Richard Quick, who arrived in Virginia in 1651; Elizabeth Quicke settled with her husband in St. Christopher in 1634; Thomas Quicke was banished to Barbados in 1685.

Citations +

Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)